A Fingerprint in the Chinese Sea

September 24, 2015

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Almost 20 years ago, when China used missile tests to intimidate Taiwan ahead of key elections there, the United States responded by dispatching not one but two aircraft carrier strike groups to the area. The unabashed U.S. show of force set off howls of protest in Beijing, which deemed it a “hostile act,” yet America was able to respond with impunity to brazen Chinese behavior and act to buttress its allies in the region.That may no longer be the case. For years, the Chinese have sought to deny U.S. forces the ability to operate with impunity in the western Pacific. The U.S. Navy traditionally carries out dozens of such challenges to other countries’ efforts to fence off international waters every year. The U.S. hasn’t challenged the Chinese lately, making US Senator McCain angry in the senate.

That apparent impotence has some leading lawmakers increasingly anxious.“In my experience with the Chinese, you don’t convince them with the beauty of your debating points; you have to do something,” Dennis Blair said. [more]